Gtjstave dittmar



N0. 608,5II; Patented Allg. 2, |898.

G. DITTMAR.

srl-:En SIGNAL Fon BlcvcLas.

(A'pplication filed Aug. 9, 1897.) (N 0 M 0 d 8 J www anw 1N: Noms crans co, PNmau'mo., wnsmucron. ufr.

g AB of Fig. l.

UNITED l STATES *i PATENT OFFICE.

GUsTAvE DITTMAR, oF WASHINGTON, DIsTEIcToE COLUMBIA.

'SPEED-SIGNAL FOR' BICYCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent'No. 608,511, dated August 2, A189e.

Application tied August 9,1897.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GUsTAvE DITTMAR, 4a1 citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Speed-Signals for Bicycles; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is a device serving to emit a sound when in bicycle-riding a certain velocity is exceeded.

The device consists, generically, of means for producing by utilizing the revolving parts of the wheel a pressure of air within a certain confined space from Vwhich the compressed air escapes by raising an adjustable pressurevalve, and the escaping gust of air causes a reed or tongue to vibrate, whereby the sound is emitted, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

For better disclosing my invention I have illustrated the same in two practical forms in the drawings, the means for producing the air-pressure being in one case a piston and in the other a fan.

Referring to lthe accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectionalelevation of the device. Fig. 2 isa view of the device on the line Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of another form of the device using the piston-compressor. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation similar to Fig. 3, the spring-valve being dispensed with.

Referring now to the drawings, l l are supporting-arms suitably connected with the bicycle-frame (not shown) and affording bearings for a shaft 2, having keyed upon it the hub 3 of a wheel 4, adapted to be rotated by the wheel of the bicycle, as shown. The shaft 2 carriesa fan 5, fixed upon it and adapted to be inclosed in a'casing 5a.

Integral with( the casing 5ab is a tube 7, imperforate except for the apertures 6, which lead into it from the casing or chamber 5, and an opening 8 in a partition in the tube, closed below by a valve 9, adapted to afford elastic pressure uponits seat by means of a spring 10, supported by an adjustable screwplug 11, screwed into the bottoml2, whereby the pressure ofthe valve 9 upon its seat can 'serial No. 647,553. (No model.)

be varied at pleasure, The stem of the valve 9 Vis guided in a longitudinal bore through the plug ll. Suit-ably fixed above the opening 8 is a partition provided with a slot, and a tongue or reed 13 covers the same, adapted to vibrate when v,a current of air 'is passing through. Y

The operation of the device is as follows: The wheel 4 being caused to rotate by its jcontact with the vtire of the bicycle, the shaft 2 and the fan 5 will rotate in they casing 5, whereby air is forced through the ports 6 into theV chamber 7. If a wheelman rides at a speed surpassing the legal limit, the fan will produce a pressure inside the chamber 7 which Will be sufficient to depress the valve 9 from its seat and air will flow through the port 8, and in passing the tongue 13 will cause the same to vibrate, thereby producing sound. The air then escapes` into the atmosphere through the ports 4l.

In turning the nut 11 in the plate l2 the tension of the spring 10 can easily be adjusted to answer the limit 'of allowed speed;

' .A further means of regulating the escape of air or the pressure developed atlegal speed is the plug 3S inthe top of the casing 7, which will be hereinafter more fully described.

j Referring to the modifications shown in Figs. 3 and 4, 27 is a portion of the wheel of the bicycle, affording contact upon a wheel 26, mounted in a bearing 24 and carrying fixed upon its shaft an arm 23, adapted in rotating to raise a lever 28, having a link-pin at 30 and pivoted at 25 to a frame or bracket 22, suitably iixed to the bicycle-frame. The supporting-bracket 22 has an upstanding arm adapted to act as a support for the device, whose casing consists of a cylinder 43, closed above, except for a small opening, and open below and provided in its side with an opening 39, leading into a tube whose walls are preferably integral with those of cylinder 43. The walls of the tube are closed except for the aperture 39 and a lateral aperture or slot 45, the latter being covered bya tongue 44, adapted to vibrate on the passage of a current of air. The aperture 39 is closed by a valve 46,

elastically held closed by a spiral spring 19,- which bears from a screw 1S, inserted in the head or partition 2l of the tube, whereby the pressure of the valve 46 upon its seat may be IOO regulated. The cylinder t3 has a iixed head 235, provided with an upwardly-swingin g flap adapted to cover an opening Sli in the head $35. Suitably fastened upon the top of the cylinder i3 is a yoke 15, adapted to afford a bearing in its top for a screw 1G, having a conical point adapted to enter inte the conical opening 3S, whereby the area of the escape-aperture 3S in the top of the cylinder can be regulated at pleasure. The bracke 22 is provided at its extremity with a spring l2, adapted to pull down, when released, the lever 28, which is provided near its end with a pin 80, to which is piveted a link 2f), pivoted at its other end to the piston 32 by the pin 3l. The operation of this modified form is as follows: The rim of the bicycle-wheel in transferring' motion upon the wheel 2G acts by means of the arm 22S upon the lever 28 more or less often, and accordingly pumps more or less air into the cylinder i3. lVhcn the legal speed is exceeded, the piston 32 will move so quickly that the air passing through its opening will produce in the cylinder i3 a pressure sufficient to lift the valve 4U from its seat, and the air in rushing through will cause the reed il. to vibrate and produce a sound. rlhe pressure sufficient to lift the valve fl-0 from its seat will be obtained evidently more easily when the screw-plug closes the conical opening` 38 fully, and more revolutions of the wheel 30 will be necessary to produce said pressure when the plug is withdrawn, allowing part of the air to escape through the opening 3S.

ln the modified form, Fig. 4r, the tube, with the valve l-G, is omitted and the cylinder 415 is provided with a slot i5 in the side covered by the reed li. All the other parts are the same as in Fig. Vhen the opening 3S ailows much of the air to escape, a comparativelyhigh speed of the bicycle will be necessary to pump sufficient air into the cylinder f1.3 in order to produce a pressure capable of vibrating` the reed stt, and if the area of the opening 3S is reduced in size by its plug the reed *la will evidently vibrate more rapidly or at a small speed of the bicycle. Thus it will be seen that the pressure within the cylinder lf3 can be regulated at will by more or less screwing upon the screw-plug l1.

llaving described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters latent, is*

l. A signal attachment for vehicles, comprising means for colnpressing air, a pressurechamber, a signal and means for regulating the pressure in said chamber and sounding the signal at a predetermined speed of the vehicle.

2. A signal attachment for vehicles, comprising means for compressing air, a pressurechamber, a signal and means for regulating the pressure in said chamberproportionate to a predetermined speed of the vehicle and sounding the signal at such predetermined speed.

A speed-signal for vehicles'comprising means for transferring motion from revolving vehicle parts upon an air-compressor, said aircompressor workin gin a closed chamber, and means for regulating the pressure in said chamber in combination with a signal adapted to sound at a given pressure, t'. c. at a predetermined speed.

el. A speed-signal for vehicles, comprising means for transferring motion from revolving vehicle parts upon an air-compressor, said aircompressor working in a closed chamber, said chamber being provided with an adjustable outlet or leak to regulate the pressure in combination with a signal adapted to sound at a given pressure,e`. e. ata jnedetermined speed, substantially as described.

5. A speed-signal for vehicles comprising means for transferring motion from revolving vehicle parts upon an air-compressor, said air-compressor workin g in a closed chamber, said chamber having an adjustable outlet or leak and an adjustable valve to allow air to escape when the pressure surpasses a given limit, in combination with a signal, adapted to sound in a current of air, located in the pat-h of the escaping air substantially as described.

G. ln speed-signals for bicycles and the like, supporting-arms, a chamber or casing mounted on one of said arms, said support adapted to afford suitable bearings for a shaft passing through the casing, a fan iixed to the shaft in said casing, a wheel keyed to said shaft and adapted to contact with the bicycle-wheel, said chamber or casing having an adjustable outlet or leak and an adjustable valve to permit the escape of surplus air,when the pressure produced by the rotation of the fan exceeds a certain point, in combination with a reed located in the path of the escaping air, substantially as described.

7. In speed-signals for bicycles and the like, a support, an upright on said support, a lever pivoted at one end to said upright, a wheel mounted on a pin in said support and adapted to contact with a revoluble part of the bicycle, a cylinder secured to said support, a piston working up and down in said cylinder, a link pivoted at one end to the piston and at the other end to said lever, said. lever being actuated by an arm or cam fixed to the hub of the wheel, and being` held in tension` by a spring at the end of the support, a yoke en the farther end of said cylinder and a scrcwplug for regulating the pressure of air in said cylinder, said cylinder having a fixed head provided with an upwardly-swinging Ilap adapted to cover an opening in said. head, a tube integral with the wall of the cylinder, an aperture opening into said tube, a valve adjustable in said tube and normally closing said aperture, said. valve adapted to permit the escape of surplus air when the pressure produced by the motion of the piston exceeds a certain point, said air escaping through. a slot in the wall of the tube or valve-casing, in combination with a reed adapted to cover IOO ITO

said slot and to emit a sund when vibrated to sound in the current of escaping air, subby the escaping air,substantia1ly as described. stantially as described. v 1o 8. A speed-signal for Vehicles comprising In testimony whereof I afx my signature a piston deriving motion from a vehicle, and in presence of tWo Witnesses.

l 5 a cylinder in .which said piston reeiprecates, GUSTAVE DITTMAR.

said cylinder being provided with an opening Witnesses: or outlet adjustable in size by a plug, and p JAS. A. RICHMOND,

with au opening Ycovered by a reed adapted HEINRICH BERKER. 

